‘Unless we herald to action the proven facts of too much time pouring over our screens, especially for children, then we cannot possibly appreciate the hidden costs.’
- Xavior Geis
Let’s dive into some valid reasons to measure our screen time affectively.
Musculoskeletal Problems -
Slumping too long and regularly on couches, gaming chairs, sitting in bed etc. bent over a phone screen scrolling through content is a high contributing factor in developing neck and back pain which can lead to headaches, dizziness, migraines and constant eye strain.
Eye Strain -
Our eyes were never made to focused on one thing for prolonged periods of time on screens. As a result, regular headaches, blurry vision, dry and bloodshot eyes are common.
The eyes are also directly connected to our brain, so stress established in the eyes is further compounded by that in the neck and back with some people developing severe episodes of migraine.
Sleep Problems -
Because of the blue light* generated from mobile phones, computers and television screens, it can significantly impact the production of melatonin in the brain which helps regulate healthy wake-sleep cycles.
Weight Gain -
The overuse of screens can lead to obesity among children because while completely absorbed with their screens there is a big lack of mobility occurring and the body doesn’t get the kind of movement it requires to stay healthy and agile.
This stagnant state of non-activity - moving the eyes up and down and moving a finger to push at a screen does not count - becomes normalized and that’s when it turns habitual.
Along with this comes the mindless eating to compensate for a lack of sufficient vitamins and minerals, the brain craving fast sugary, salty foods to boost its flagging state.
Potato crisps, candy, soft drink, chocolate, biscuits all things that if consumed constantly and numerous times each day, act like poison in the body because they feed fat cells while depleting the brain of what it needs, tricking it into being dependent on the quick false burst of energy. It’s a vicious cycle.
The brain literally rewires itself to expect the stagnant daily activity making it difficult for parents to wield the needed supervision well.
Instead, they are confronted with defiance and irritability for being supposedly unfair in wanting their children to turn their phones or computers off, whereas if some groundwork is done at the outset, particularly when children are still in the early learning years, then good health habits are learned and can be followed respectively without mum or dad seeming unreasonable.
If the habit of too much screen time is already long established, then a stricter regime will be needed to implement the changes wanted.
Perhaps getting out into some more hands-on activities like outdoor projects or a sport.
After about seven times of repeatedly doing a replacement activity for screen time, especially like enjoyable and social exercise of some form, the brain then learns to follow the new path that’s been formed and reaps its reward through the feel-good endorphins that are released after such activities.
Academic Results -
Learning outcomes are proven to suffer because of excessive screen time use, low results directly connected to poor outcomes in areas like math and English.
Kids turn their noses up at having to actually read a book and many simply don’t know how anymore in a way that can be instructional to them.
They tire easily and complain of boredom. The value of the information within a book is not absorbed because skills in comprehension are lacking.
When Kids are stuck so long on digital devices that it becomes customary behavior to look to that device to think for them, then this is what we see.
Social media doesn’t fuel independence of thought but rather enslavement to the greater idealism of others.
Instead, we are heaped with low IQ results, reduced attention spans and poor impulse control.
Children caught up in the web of social media from very early on by way of their parents even and permitted to have their own mobile phones before they can get a learners permit to drive a car are most at risk as far as healthy and sustained personal development go.
They often have difficulties with learning language and following more then one step instructions and fail in basic comprehension of their environment and what is happening within it to respond in sync.
Many are referred to speech pathologists when they wouldn’t necessarily need to see one had they been kept from constant screen time. *
As time progresses the issues haven’t been getting better because there hasn’t been enough determined effort to implement change.
Increased behavioral issues in the classroom, school yard, at home, up the street and in public buildings and vehicles are marked by hyperactivity and displays of aggression.
Real time face-to-face interactions in contrast to those over screens become a source of discomfort and social awkwardness encouraging self-isolation.
Over reliance on devices like mobile phones to constantly interreact and capture daily activities and trending attitudes is linked to lack of empathy and aggressive antisocial behaviors when not engaging with an audience.
Exposure to harmful lengths of screen time particularly in the case of youths having their own social media accounts makes them vulnerable to the risks and pressures that all too often are not considered prior to engagement.
These pressures and dangers can be extremely difficult for children to emotionally navigate. The so-called perks of social networks are set in place on these sites to support longer user sessions and daily use, while simultaneously maximizing the platforms revenue for developers.
The consequent rise in mental health disorders is staggering and very much a growing concern, with statistics indicating ‘significant increase in problematic social media use.
Some key points from recent studies:
7% of adolescents in 2018 showed signs of problematic social media behavior, increasing to 11% in 2022.
12% of adolescents are at risk of problematic gaming, with boys more likely than girls to show signs of problematic gaming.
1 in 5 teens say social media sites hurt their mental health, and growing shares think they harm people their age.
45% of teens report spending too much time on social media, up from 36% in 2022.
45.5% of young women experienced a mental health condition in the previous year, up from 30.1% in 2007.
24 Hour Movement Guidelines
No Screen Time for Children younger then 2 yrs of age.
No More Than One Hour Per Day for 2 - 5 yr olds.
No More Than Two Hours Per Day of sedentary recreational screen time for children and young people 5 - 17 yrs old. (not inc. school work.)
(3-point research guideline by Angela Joshi and Trina Hinkley.)
Do You Have an Experience You Would Like to Share About This Topic?
It’s notable that the addiction to excessive screen time increases among young boys about ten to fifteen years of age.
Engagements with computer games either played alone or online with unknown users.
Among girls of the same age, more import is placed on connections and social media has been the perfect tool for this, networking with friends and counting on upvotes from would-be friends.
The unseen danger in all of it is the underestimated shadow of online predators who may also be engaging with children on these same platforms with children actively believing they are speaking to or playing a game with another child like themselves or an older teenage role model.
Reading Books Can Lead to a Longer Life. Yes Please!
That great to know, isn’t it? But we need to be actively reading to benefit.
Reading books is also linked to better career success.
Doctor David Lewis, Cognitive Neuropsychologist of Mind lab International in Sussex England, noted that stress levels are actively reduced by 68% when we read!
What’s more, this level of relaxation showed in voluntary participants after only 6 minutes of concentrated focus on the subject matter read….
- That’s it! If you’re wondering where I am, I’m incognito with a book and a ‘'do not disturb’' sign. Thanks.
Wait! Here’s something else that’s pretty cool.
The study took place by getting volunteers to engage in exercise to raise their heart rates first so the results of various traditional relaxation methods could be measured properly. - Yep, all the sweat and tears did nothing to wash away the evidence= Fingerprints are clearly on the pages.
Reading proved beyond question to be the best method, even lowering stress levels to that below what they were prior to the exercise.
‘‘Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation.”
[Reading is] ‘an active engaging of the imagination as the words on the printed page stimulate your creativity and cause you to enter what is essentially an altered state of consciousness.’
- Dr David Lewis
Children look to find this altered state of consciousness in video games and social media where they can become something greater, faster, stronger, more glamorous, except with all the detrimental health issues to pay for it.
The exact opposite in way of health, happens whenever we read. It encourages instead language comprehension, verbal articulation and clear communication, better long-term memory and problem solving and fosters natural creativity.
Got To Love It!
Reading enforces physical responses between the mind-body pathway to become more resilient and confident.
Reading books opens doors for those that because of learning to love books, see the world as a place to create, develop, think critically and initiate constructive debates for future improvements.
Reading books also encourages healthy rest and does not interfere with healthful eating.
Reading books pushes for discussions and innovative sharing in classrooms before children are ready to contribute effectively to the larger world,
Readers reap through more satisfying bonds and friendships.
When Do You Want to Start on Your Book? See Below:
Moral of the Story based on Proven Studies.
Visit your local library regularly
Visit a book swap box near you
Ask a teacher, friend or work colleague to recommend a book.
Helpful Hint:
Even listening to audio books can be good for the brain opposed to scrolling endlessly on screens. But if you can manage a chapter or two in a physical book then it’s definitely the proven way to go.
Make a start and enjoy!
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Here’s to You.
Xavior.